Out for a Sunday drive on a lovely late summer day. We expected strong winds from the north but that didn’t become an issue at all. The route followed the Tuscarawas River valley, with bluffs and tree-covered hills rising up all around us. And, for the first 18 miles, we actually rode on a lane-wide shoulder! It was almost a waste since the traffic was so light, but I won’t look any gift horse in the mouth.

For a long while we didn’t know the name of the river we were tracking, so we began singing random river themed songs. We missed our chance to use Old Man River, and we are too far north for Swanee, so I settled on a sentimental favorite, Moon River. “Two drifters, off to see the world…”

A truck pulling this trailer with five beagles was in the motel parking lot this morning. None of them barked when we approached, they just made little noises that sounded like “let me out!”

We learned today’s Americana trivia in Newcomerstown, the halfway point, where we had our first Subway breakfast (we give it a C+). Cy Young was born in Gilmore, about a dozen miles east, but he died in this town. We also tried new post-ride ice cream treats at the McDonalds by our motel. Bill went for a mocha frappe (he misses his morning pot of coffee) and I a Rolo mcflurry (meh).

The Tubs and Suds advertised beer while you wash your clothes, but not on Sunday. That was ok but I was disappointed the hair salon next to it was closed as I really need a cut. Back in the room we watched some of the USA Pro Cycling event finishing up in downtown Denver! Made me a bit homesick.

A few nature observations: the raccoon population in Coshocton County seems to be diminishing rapidly based on close observation. Roosters crow at odd times, maybe as we ride by like dogs bark at us? And crickets or grasshoppers chirp incessantly in the fields.

Since I have so few photos today, I will toss in one of my nephew Jonathan on his first day of first grade.

A 36-miles day, 1,689 in all. My odometer just tripped 3 grand, all since October. Best Western Motel in Uhrichsville, OH.

We won’t talk about the first part of the ride – I’ve gotten over my snit from the cracked and pitted road.

We started the day with a wise quote. The countryside is beautiful. The weather is fantastic. We saw three deer early this morning (my sisters?) There were candy cigarettes for sale at a little spot where we each had a yummy bowl of fruit. We had a good talk with a cyclist who has ridden the trails from Pittsburgh to D.C. The road became smooth, flat and wide. The 2-year old son of the gal working in the deli joined us for lunch. His shirt read, “Wasn’t Me!”

Ah, a pool and hot tub. We were in need of the soothing waters, which we haven’t had for a few weeks.

It has become common throughout Ohio and some neighboring states to have quilt squares painted on barns. The one we saw today is the most detailed and prettiest I’ve seen so far.

Our motel is a few blocks from Roscoe Village, a town that grew around the Ohio Erie Canal. Lots of shops and eateries, a museum, canal boat, schoolhouse, and blacksmith shop are clustered along the main street. Most date to the early 1800s and have been authentically restored. An impressive number of people were wandering around, even though it’s not very near any major population centers.

The news is all about the hurricane! Right now we’re watching a reporter standing out in the water at Nag’s Head. We hope it doesn’t live up to the hype.

As we pedaled out of Warsaw, where we had lunch, a carillon was playing Onward Christian Soldiers. That doesn’t exactly describe us but nothing else has come to mind for the day’s tune.

We biked 37 miles today and 1,653 miles overall. Another Super 8 Motel, exactly like yesterday’s, but in Coshocton, OH.

One upside of a B&B is the wonderful breakfast and conversation with the host, and we had both this morning. Rodger ripped out the kitchen and has started to rebuild it, a project we’ve done twice. Luckily our ride was short as we didn’t get rolling until almost 9:00.

We took 3-digit (county) roads today instead of the state route, so we avoided the heavy truck traffic but also had no shoulder. There was a strong steady wind from the northeast for a good part of the ride, as well as some steep hills, which got me pretty cranky. A chocolate milk break helped (see Bill’s photo at the only place to purchase anything for the entire route, the very Spartan town of Sparta).

At the top of a hill we pulled into the driveway of a farmhouse to catch our breath. A few minutes later the owner drove up and offered us cold water. We had a good visit with him and his little pal, a “Jack Russell Terrorist”. They are both the same age, 77. There was a 22 rifle strapped to his golf cart and a bucket of tomatoes he’d just picked. His apple orchard yielded 178 bushels last year, 100 of which he picked himself and all of which he gave away.

For all you Buckeyes, today we sing the official rock song of the state and the university, Hang On Sloopy, recorded by The McCoys.

A 37-mile day adding up to 1,616 so far. Super 8 Motel, in the hometown of Paul Lynde, Mount Vernon, OH.

Today’s choice was easy: Happy Birthday! Lots of gifts today, beginning with the thunderstorms ending before we started out. Turned into a beautiful day, with a touch of wind at our backs!

At Marysville, the halfway point, we stopped for our usual second breakfast. I went into the Twisted Sister Florists to get a cafe suggestion, and had to also ask about the name. “Do you have sisters? Then you know!” She was the oldest of 5 girls. Bill got tired of waiting so he went into the copier shop to ask and of course got a different reply. My option wasn’t open yet, so we went to Goodies N More, the right call. We got talking with Matt, the manager, who treated us to breakfast, introduced us to the owner, took our photo for their Facebook page….this was the epitome of hospitality that we’ve experienced through the whole trip.
(http://www.facebook.com/GoodiesNMore )

Matt recommended Bun’s for our late lunch (also a tip from my foodie brother Jon). This restaurant was opened in 1864; Matt’s grandparents had their wedding reception and their 60th anniversary party here! The meal was excellent but the buns exceptionally so.

Like Urbana, this is a college town. Ohio Wesleyan University was founded in 1842 and many of the original town and gown buildings still stand, in very good condition. Branch Rickey and Norman Vincent Peale are two grads. Bill booked us into a B&B as a birthday treat, and it’s pretty spectacular. Built in 1875 with walls 3 bricks thick and ceilings 14′ high, it retains many original features but has all the amenities. We’ll enjoy our host’s home brew while watching the big screen TV. ( http://www.winterstinn.com )

41 miles, 1,579 total. Winter Street Inn, Delaware, OH.

They’re baaaack! Yes we are, and we agreed that it felt good to be on the road again. Although it was only 15 miles from our start, we had to stop at Loretta’s Country Kitchen for breakfast. We used to bike here and meet up with friends for good home cooking and a slice of pie, and there are always at least a dozen choices. Today it was pecan, but I got it to go.

Somewhere in Kansas we saw on TV the author of a book on Johnny Appleseed. It was broadcast from Urbana University, and Urbana was our destination today. We spent time in the small but very informative museum there. Johnny planted trees on the campus, which was established in 1850.
Today’s tune is Ordinary Day by Vanessa Carleton. The words have great meaning for the many ordinary days of our journey.

We rode 37 miles, total 1,538. Country Hearth Inn, Urbana, OH.

We had a great staycation, saw lots of family and friends, and finally had to leave before our vocal chords gave out from talking or stomachs rebelled from overeating.

Saturday evening my brother Jon cooked one of his amazing dinners, with mussels, scallops, fresh veggies, and the thickest swordfish I’ve ever seen. Dessert was a homemade apple delight and an early birthday cake. My sister Mary from Cincinnati, Jon’s girlfriend Julie, and my 3 teenage nieces (Shelby, Lydia, and Emma) made it a party! When we returned “home”, we stayed up late with our hosts Bob and Harrie and another friend Louisa.

Sunday we visited with good friends Diane and Lee, then with my brother Casey, his girlfriend Charlotte, and another niece, NoorLiza. We went to a Cajun restaurant with Alicia and Rike, great pals and bicycling buddies.

Monday Bill and Bob spent the day together, and Shelby and Emma picked me up for lunch with their dad and then a real shopping expedition for just the girls. That night was dinner at home with Lee and Diane, and more dear friends Jill and Matt.

Tuesday started with the Master Gardener gang at a coffee shop, (Alicia, Dan, Marian and Steve, Nancy, and Lesa), then lunch at the home of Norman, Bill’s former partner in crime from the ER, and his wife Pat. The final meal of the marathon was at Greenfire, our favorite hangout for many years, with the board of the SBA (Seneca Bridge Authority), consisting of Bob, Harrie, Lee, Diane, and ourselves. Our Teneka was there to serve us too. Perfect!

I would have to amend the lyric to We Are Family by the Pointer Sisters to include all our brothers, as well as sisters, of the heart that we saw in the past 4 days. We love Denver but we miss all of you.

We made it to state #6 today with our fastest mph average to date. After some ups and downs coming out of Indiana, and a patch of dense fog, we hit some long straight country roads with a bit of wind at our backs. A breakfast stop in Arcanum, then right to our destination by 12:30. Woohoo!

The song of the day is Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah from the Disney film Song of The South.

We are staying with dear friends across the street from our home for 7 years. I am not technically prepared to try to get photos onto their computer, and there’s no wifi to use the iPad, so this post will be short and lacking illustrations. And, since we plan to take a mini-vacation here until Wednesday, I will sign off until our next biking day ends.

44 miles, 1,501 in all. Staying with Bob and Harrie Sommer, Troy, OH.

Conditions were all favorable today: overcast skies, no wind, 4-lane highway so no back blow from semis heading west, wide shoulder, flat terrain for the first 25 miles, gentle inclines the next 25. The ride through the city of Richmond though was not fun though, as all those positives were reversed.

I had my first incident of road rage today. We had gone about 46 miles so I was getting tired. A hot yellow sports car coming from a cross street on the right screeched to a stop just inches from where I was pedaling. I heard it pull out behind me, horn blaring, and I caught a glimpse of an arm come out the passenger window. Without a thought I flipped them off, then it registered that the girl was flashing the peace sign. Her man did a quick u-turn and laid into me. I apologized profusely and explained that blasting the horn scared the hell out of me. He calmed down and as they drove by again she waved. Whew! From now on both hands stay on the grips.

With recommendations from a guy we chatted with at lunch and my brother, we had a light dinner at Galo’s. On the walk back we stopped into Texas Roadhouse for a nightcap, and met a bunch of Elks from Xenia, Ohio here to play golf. As usual, we found things on common and heard great admiration for our venture.

Our motel is right next to Glen Miller Park, so of course our thoughts went to the great Big Band trombonist. Of course he is Glenn, and from Iowa, but we are going with his In The Mood anyway.

Photos: by popular demand, the worst bathmat ever. At first I thought the fringe was decorative since it went all around, until I saw this one corner was almost chewed off. We are getting close to Labor Day, and that’s a holiday, right?

52 miles for a grand total of 1,457. Knights Inn, Richmond, IN.

Well, today was an adventure unto itself. We biked straight through the heart of Indianapolis. During morning rush hour. And lived to tell the tale. My trusty cycling mentor was enthralled, reliving his days of commuting through the west (= bad) side of Chicago. I admit it was awfully invigorating but too fast-paced to stop for photos. Once out of downtown, Route 40, the Old National Highway, opens up into 4 lanes plus a wide shoulder, so traffic there was not an issue. Only one lodging option between Indy and tomorrow’s destination: the motels have all moved to the interstate, 6-8 miles north of the old road.

We were just minutes away from the Brickyard, where Jim Nabors, accompanied by the Purdue Marching Band, opens the Indy 500 with his version of Back Home Again In Indiana. Sing it, Gomer!

Greenfield is the home town of the poet James Whitcomb Riley, and his home is open for tours. Since we had a free afternoon we biked over to check it out, and it turned out to be quite interesting. The home was in great shape; his father made most of the furniture and the beautiful black walnut woodwork. His poetry, which our guide quoted frequently, may appeal to a more juvenile audience, and I did recognize some of it from my younger days.

A reasonable 37 miles, and 1,405 to date. The Budget Motel, home to 14 permanent residents and the most worn-out bathmat I’ve ever seen. Greenfield, IN.

We’ve discovered a great interval fitness routine! Start with 3 days biking through Illinois, which is as flat as Hilda’s head (one of Aunt Hattie’s sayings. Who is Hilda? I don’t know but I will when I see her). Immediately after crossing the Indiana state line, go down a hill and up a steeper one. Ride level for a mile. Repeat the hill thing, then the level part. Repeat for 60 miles while gradually decreasing the distance between hills and increasing their severity. Every two miles throw in a good gust of headwind. Reduce the width of the shoulder and randomly add potholes, sticks, broken glass, hunks of tire. Start with about 3 cars and trucks per mile, ramp up steadily until there are 3 seconds between vehicles. Increase development from isolated farmhouses to dense suburban retail strip malls and big box stores. Make sure to spool the theme song from Rocky, Gonna Fly Now, written by Bill Ponti, over and over again. There are only 30 words in the lyric, 8 of them the word now. Pull into motel, high-five your partner, and hit the showers.

To fuel yourself for the day, start with a typical farm breakfast of eggs, hash browns, ham or corned beef hash, toast, juice or coffee. Ride 22 miles and stop for a brownie sundae. Go another 22 miles and eat grilled chicken or beef brisket with all the fixings. At dinner time go the the closest joint, have a few Sam Adams or Blue Moons with your Greek salad and pizza.

Photos: the folks where we had dessert at 10:30 am. He used to have a restaurant in Boulder years ago. We had lunch at the Mayberry in Danville, with the police car out front and reruns of the Andy Griffith Show nonstop.

48 miles today, 1,368 in total. Comfort Inn, Avon IN.